Is it illegal for a sports player to bet on their own team to win?
Team sports, yes- I would say probably all sports have a gambling ban as part of their collective bargaining agreements, which would make gambling on their own sport (not just their own team) against their rules. You can’t make betting on your team to win ok, but betting against your team wrong- it’s not the outcome that’s illegal, it’s the act of gambling itself. Technically, whether it’s illegal or not would come down to the state they live in and their laws. For instance, it might not be illegal to bet on the New York Giants, since they play in New Jersey, and gambling is legal in casinos in Atlantic City. Individual sports- not always. Boxing and horse racing are sports that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for gamblers, and it’s common knowledge that fighters, trainers, jockeys, and horse owners bet on themselves (or their fighters/horses).
